Ex-Gov Blagojevich

The lawyers for Rod Blagojevich may ask the ex-Illinois governor to do what he’s least good at: Keeping his big yap shut.

The Chicago Sun-Times reports that defense attorneys told U.S. District Judge James Zagel Tuesday afternoon that they planned to rest their case without presenting a witness, including Blagojevich, who had been expected to take the stand.

The paper reported that the judge, in a private conference, told lawyers to think about it overnight.

The Sun-Times reported that the father and son defense lawyer team — Sam Adam Sr. and Sam Adam Jr. — said they disagree over whether the ex-gov should testify.

The father thought he shouldn’t because the government failed to prove its case, the paper reported. The son said he should since he promised jurors in his opening statement that Blagojevich would testify.

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Blagojevich family/facebook

Sometimes judges complain to federal prosecutors that their case is dragging on too long. But in Chicago, in U.S. District Court, there’s a bit of different twist.

The defense for ex-Ill. Gov. Rod Blagojevich is complaining that prosecutors are moving far too quickly in trial and will finish presenting their case this week, far ahead of schedule.

The defense is now scrambling, trying to get a hold of witnesses they thought they wouldn’t need until August, the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

“A fair trial is destroyed,” Blagojevich attorney Sam Adam Sr. told reporters outside the courtroom Monday, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. “We told our witnesses we’d be in touch late August. All of a sudden, the government cuts their case short . . . They misled us. They misled the court.”

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